Report: Small cell backhaul market expected to take off in 2014

Over the next four years, carriers and other businesses will spend $6 billion globally on outdoor small cell backhaul equipment, according to a new report from Infonetics Research. While there were fewer than 7,000 outdoor small cell backhaul connections in 2012, the market research firm predicts that there will be 850,000 by 2017.

Richard Webb, co-author of the report, said the firm is expecting “outdoor small cells to really kick into high gear beginning in 2014.”

“Outdoor small cells or, more accurately, low-power cells, are an exciting new expansion of mobile networking, but they come with challenging backhaul issues,” he said. “As a result, deployments of outdoor small cells are modest right now, as mobile operators sort things out and test, trial and select technologies, products and vendors. But that’s about to change, and fast.”

The Infonetics report on small cell mobile backhaul equipment tracked more than 30 major vendors worldwide including Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Huawei, Nokia Solutions and Networks and Samsung.

But North America is where the action is currently, according to Infonetics. The firm noted that AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Clearwire and Comcast are all planning and conducting field trial deployments in the region.

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Contributor, Europe[email protected]
Sara Zaske covers European carrier news for RCR Wireless News from Berlin, Germany. She has more than ten years experience in communications. Prior to moving to Germany, she worked as the communications director for the Oregon State University Foundation. She is also a former reporter with the San Francisco Examiner and Independent, where she covered development, transportation and other issues in the City of San Francisco and San Mateo County. Follow her on Twitter @szaske